System for large dynamic range light detection. In one aspect, the system includes a hybrid counting/integrating system for processing a signal from a photomultiplier tube. In another aspect, large dynamic range is achieved in a cascaded detector system utilizing at least one asymmetric beam splitter for delivering a larger fraction of incident light to one photomultiplier tube and for delivering a smaller fraction of the incident light to another photomultiplier tube.
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4. System for large dynamic range light detection comprising:
a photomultiplier tube for receiving incident light photons and generating an output electrical signal in response to the incident light; an analog-to-digital convertor responsive to the output signals to generate a digital signal; and a digital processor operating on the digital signal, the digital signal processor adapted to analyze the signal to determine whether the signal is in a photon counting range or in an integrating range, the digital processor further programmed to mimic photon counting when the signal is in the photon counting range or to integrate the signal when the signal is in the integrating range and to generate an output.
1. System for large dynamic range light detection comprising:
a photomultiplier tube for receiving incident light photons and generating an electrical signal in response to the incident light; a discriminator/counter responsive to the output signal from the photomultiplier tube to count photons for output signals below a first selected level; a charge integrator responsive to the output signal from the photomultiplier tube to integrate the output signal for output signals above a second selected level; and control circuitry responsive to the discriminator/counter and to the charge integrator whereby dynamic range is increased, wherein the control circuitry selects output either from the discriminator/counter or the charge integrator, or a linear combination of the two based on strength of the output signals and stores the selected output.
2. The system of
5. The system of
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This invention relates to large dynamic range light detection and more particularly to a system for use in fluorescence readers to accommodate large dynamic ranges while maintaining optimal signal-to-noise performance.
Fluorescence readers are often used for re-sequencing or gene expression studies. In these systems, light such as that from a laser is directed onto a target which may include molecules capable of fluorescing. The emitted fluorescent light is then detected and analyzed. Detection is often accomplished using a photomultiplier tube in which incident light falls upon a photocathode thereby liberating primary electrons via the photoelectric effect. These primary electrons encounter structures known as dynodes to release secondary electrons. The electrons migrate to an anode and produce a current pulse. The dynamic range of the photomultiplier tube (PMT) is the ratio of the strongest expected signal to the weakest expected signal. At the low end of the signal range it is advantageous to count photons while at the high end such counting may no longer be possible due to pulse overlap and for other reasons.
A brute-force approach to the large dynamic range problem is to increase measurement (averaging) time to extend the detection range toward lower signal levels. While other solutions are available (compare, for example, a quantum photometer in "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill, P. 998, ISBN 0-521-37095-7, Second Edition 1989), they do not permit the fast (pixel times on the order of microseconds) simultaneous measurement of current and fast photon counting. The present invention will increase dynamic range without increasing measurement or averaging time.
In one aspect, the system according to the invention for large dynamic range light detection includes a photomultiplier tube for receiving incident light photons and for generating an output electrical signal in response to the incident light. A discriminator/counter responds to the output signal from the photomultiplier tube to count photons for output signals below a first selected level. A charge integrator responds to the output signal from the photomultiplier tube to integrate the output signal for output signals above a second selected level. Control circuitry is provided responsive to the discriminator/counter and to the charge integrator so that dynamic range is increased. In one embodiment, control circuitry is provided to record outputs from the discriminator/counter and from the charge integrator. In another embodiment, the control circuitry selects an output either from the discriminator/counter or from the charge integrator or a linear combination of the two based on strength of the output signal and stores the selected output. The control circuitry may be a digital signal processor.
In another aspect, the system of the invention for increasing dynamic range includes a photomultiplier tube for receiving incident light photons and generating output electrical signal in response to the incident light. An analog-to-digital converter responds to the output signal to generate a digital signal, and a digital signal processor operates on the digital signal. The digital signal processor is programmed to analyze the signal to determine whether the signal is within a photon counting range or within an integrating range. The digital signal processor is further programmed to mimic photon counting when the signal is in the photon counting range or to integrate the signal when the signal is in the integrating range and to generate an output. A photomultiplier tube preamplifier circuit may be provided to broaden pulses from the photomultiplier tube to cover several sampling intervals.
In yet another aspect, the system according to the invention for large dynamic range light detection includes at least one asymmetric beam splitter for receiving incident light and to direct a larger fraction of the incident light to one photomultiplier tube and to direct a smaller fraction of the incident light to at least one other photomultiplier tube. In a preferred embodiment, the photomultiplier tube receiving the larger fraction of incident light is operated in a photon counting mode and the photomultiplier tube receiving the smaller fraction of the incident light is operated in an integrating mode. A suitable larger fraction is 90% of the incident light and a suitable smaller fraction is 10% of the incident light. A suitable beam splitter is uncoated glass. A digital signal processor may be provided for operating on the signals from the photomultiplier tubes. It is also preferred that a fast modulator be provided to attenuate the incident light based on an actual signal thus resulting in dynamic compression.
The different aspects of the present invention extend signal dynamic range to allow photon counting at the low end of the dynamic range and extend the range up to a maximum light load that the light detector can accommodate. The systems of the invention allow covering dynamic ranges that are limited by the photon counting detection limit at the lower end and by the destruction threshold of the PMT at the high end. The present invention makes it possible to achieve dynamic ranges of 104 and more.
With reference first to
A second cascaded approach to increasing dynamic range is shown in FIG. 3. Incident light 10 encounters an asymmetric beam splitter 30 which directs most (e.g. 90%) of the incident light to a photomultiplier tube 32 (PMT). The remaining light (e.g. 10%) passes through the beamsplitter and may be directed to a last PMT 34 or be split up further by additional beamsplitters that direct the larger fraction of the light passed on by the previous beam splitter to intermediate PMTs 38. The PMT 32 which receives the largest fraction of the signal is preferably run in photon counting mode while the PMTs 34 and 38 are operated in charge integration mode. As in the embodiment of
The asymmetric beam splitters 30 would in this case normally have to be coated plates. Also, their reflectivities may be different from one another for some designs. The angle of incidence shown serves for illustration purposes only. In the case shown, typical transmissions might be 10% and typical reflectivities might be 90%. If each of the PMTs has a dynamic range of 103, then the total dynamic range would be 104 for two PMTs and even more for additional PMTs.
Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 4. In this arrangement, the beam splitters 40 can be uncoated substrates which are less expensive than coated substrates. The uncoated substrate will reflect about 10% and transmit about 90% of the incident light. Again, the PMT 32 gets the strongest signal and the PMT 34 gets the weakest signal with the PMTs 38 getting increasingly weaker signals as one moves from the PMT 32 to the PMT 34.
The designs illustrated in
Both the hybrid counting/integrating system and the cascaded detector system described above extend signal dynamic range by allowing photon counting at the low end of the dynamic range and extended up to the maximum light load the detector can handle. Both approaches allow covering dynamic ranges that are limited by the photon counting detection limit at the lower end and by the destruction threshold of the PMT at the high end. Dynamic ranges well in excess of 104 and more are achievable with the designs of this invention.
It is intended that all modifications and variations of the above-described invention be included within the scope of the appended claims.
Dorsel, Andreas N., Staton, Kenneth L., Schleifer, Arthur
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